80s Fashion For Men: How To Wear 80s Outfits For Guys
The most popular outfits in the ’80s truly defined the era. Men would wear anything from suits with turtlenecks, black dress shoes and slicked back hair to ripped jeans with biker jackets, boots, and longer flowing hairstyles. Your profession, interests and lifestyle strongly influenced your attire.
Dad jeans, denim jackets, polo shirts, oversized sweaters, short shorts, tight t-shirts and slogan shirts were common across the board. Guys in the rock and punk scene would wear Doc Martens and Converse sneakers, while business professionals dressed in loafers and the cool kids favored white sneakers and high tops.
As brands and designers begin to bring back the aesthetic of the 80s, guys may want to consider shopping for these cool retro pieces. If you’re ready to embrace the style, let’s explore the most iconic 1980s men’s fashion trends and outfits to know about.
80s Fashion Trends
‘80s Casual Fashion
Recreating ‘80s casual fashion is pretty easy since it emphasizes comfort-cool styles that you can mix-and-match from what’s on the rack today. For starters, ’80s dad fashion was popular and epitomized the casual style of the era. A typical dad outfit consisted of loose jeans with a denim jacket to match and a t-shirt on top. Bold statement outerwear like brightly-colored sweaters, bomber jackets, or color block windbreakers will help you achieve maximum ‘80s casual. To finish the look, you’ll want to wear white sneakers as the perfect casual shoe. For a more smart or business casual aesthetic, some men even wore brown or black loafers with khaki pants or slacks.
‘80s Hip Hop Fashion
A lot of 1980s fashion was borne out of the hip hop music and culture of the time. Influenced by popular groups and artists such as Run-DMC, NWA, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J, the looks often included baggy pants and elements of sportswear that would lead to modern-day street styles. These types of clothing also served the purpose of being easier to dance and move in, which led to the success of staple pieces like hammer pants, popularized by MC Hammer.